The worst day ever

My local library had a flood.  A horrible flood that damaged countless books and so they are closed for at least a few weeks while they clean up the mess and try to restock the shelves. 
I know that in the scope of the world it is a little insignificant thing but for me it is a big deal.  I will not be able to check out a new book for weeks.

What will I do?

Into The Wilderness by Sara Donati

Into the Wilderness is a 4 book epic about an English well to do woman who joins her father and brother in the wilderness in Upper New York in the 1790's.  She falls in love with the wild lands and while it is a very different world from the upper crust of London she fits in perfectly.  Of course it helps that she falls head over heels in love with a rough neck white man raised by Indians who also happens to feel the same way about her.  It is not all sunshine and roses for the couple (obviously) but they do have a very sweet honest love that makes you wish you would travel to that time and find your own rough neck backwoodsman.   Who needs indoor plumbing when you have true love?  
The novels have enough historical relevance to be intriguing and not a straight forward romance novel.

I have read the first two and will probably finish the series, for some reason I lost interest part way through the second novel and am not sure if I want to take up the third.  It takes place 15 years after the first ends, which is the only reason I am giving it a chance.

A drink before the war by Dennis Lehane

In case I haven't mentioned it before, I love Dennis Lehane.  LOVE HIM.  If you have not read one of his books please do.  I promise you will not be disappointed.  A drink before the war was Mr. Lehane's first novel, but it doesn't show.  Once again you are thrust into the Boston world that is ugly, gritty and hard not to love.  The characters are real and flawed, the line between bad guy and good guy is always gray in his novels and this is no exception.

Excellent read.

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

Rebel Angels is the second book in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy.  I enjoyed the first book but wasn't sure if I wanted to continue on with the series, I must say though that the second book was 10 times better than the first.  I liked the maturity the girls are showing, this book dove deeper into the reasons the girls behave the way they do  Which reveals a few secrets along the way and makes the characters more likeable.  The setting of this book is London while the girls are away from Spence on Christmas Holiday, I think that is the main reason I enjoyed this novel more, instead of boring day to day trials of prep school instead the girls were thrown into London society.  I found that much more interesting. 

The novel follows the same group of girls which I enjoy and also ads more into Gemma's home life.  I am still uncertain if her family will play a larger role or not but they did make a much more significant appearance in this novel. 

I like the history, mixed with fantasy with just a hint of romance that Bray creates in these novels.  I especially like that Gemma, Ann and Felicity are human, they are spoiled bratty girls and act like it, which is a breath of fresh air.  I like a heroine that is flawed, makes her much more realistic for me.  These girls act like 16 year old girls. 

I have the third book on hold at the Library and I hope that I enjoy it as much as I did this second book.  It is so rare to find a second novel that is as appealing (if not more so) than the first. 

The Sanctuary by Raymond Khoury

I truly enjoy this author.  I loved the The Last Templar and saw this novel on the shelf and figured why not - so glad that I did.  The book is fast paced, a tad on the predictable side (happy ending included) but it is one fun roller coaster ride to get to the happy ending.  The characters are a tad on the transparent side, but the book reads like an action movie, so background and deep analytical probing of characters is not necessary, getting to the action is though.  Excellent book, highly recommend for any adrenaline junkies out there.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard book read like a children's book.  I know it was in YA but honestly it should be in the juvenile department.  I liked the writing but it didn't really grab my attention and hold onto it - not sure why.  I did finish the entire book mostly because it took a few hours to read it but I wasn't that thrilled with it.  I probably would have loved this book when I was 12, however at 30 it left me wanting more.

Excellent book for 9 to 13 years, just not my cup of tea.

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

Wicked Appetite is novel by Janet Evanovich but it is not in the popular Stephanie Plum series, although it does feature a familiar character Diesel (who appears in the between the numbers books).  The novel does follow the usual pattern though, young single woman finds herself in the middle of a hot mess and all of a sudden people start getting killed.  It is a funny, silly book with lots of dialogue, a hodgepodge of characters and lots of steamy lusty scenes.  Basically everything you would expect from Evanovich.   I still prefer the Stephanie Plum series but this did wet my appetite until she releases a new book in the series. 

Number 17 I cannot wait.

Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter

I loved this book.  It was so silly and tongue in cheek but yet historically accurate enough that one could almost believe that Abraham Lincoln (who is like my great great great great great grandpa) was indeed a Vampire Hunter.  I especially like that the author made John Wilkes Booth a vampire, how perfectly chilling to think that our 16th president was murdered by the hand of a vampire.  Of course if it were real I am pretty sure Mr. Booth would have bitten and then drained the president and we all know that Mr. Lincoln was shot while watching a play.  Seems a very cowardly way for a vampire to kill someone.  All in all it is a fantastic read, part historical non-fiction, part vampire mythology and a lot of blood and gore.  Now that is my kind of book.  I really loved the pictures depicting vampires and Mr. Lincoln, marvelous idea. 

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Book one of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy.  A Great and Terrible Beauty is a young adult book, which is industry lingo for lots of teen angst.  The angst is alive and well but in a different way because the novel is set in the early 1900's, when women were mostly another possession.  Instead of the normal teenage girl problems the majority of the angst is about being married (sold) off to an older, pudgy husband.  The majority of the story takes place at Spence academy, which is a finishing school for girls.  Not an educational school but rather a school that will teach young ladies how to snag a proper husband.  God it is any wonder people managed to make babies in this time period.   

Anyway, the story revolves around Gemma and her mysterious new ability to reach the realm of lost souls.  Of course in order to fit in she brings along her friends and there is always that one girl who is power hungry and things get out of hand. 

The writing was lacking unless the author was speaking about emotions, then the writing came alive with the fears and triumphs of these poor girls.  One line I particularily loved was one girl wanted to not be beautiful any longer - her reasoning - because people (especially men) always want to possess beautiful things.  Very true. 

The book was alright, I did put the other two novels in the series on my hold list at the library - mostly to find out what happens in the end.  I am sure it is going to be pretty melodramatic but sometimes it is nice to have a little fluff book that isn't too serious.

The Way Of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

This Quote on the back of the novel "I loved this book.  What else is there to say?" by Patrick Rothfuss pretty much sums up how I feel about The Way of Kings.  But I will say a little more, after all this is a blog.
I have never read a Sanderson novel. I know he took over the reins of Jordan's Wheel of Time series after his death but the series seemed long, played out and I was afraid I would eventually get bored.  When I spotted this behemoth of a novel at the library I could not pass it up.  The book is over 1000 pages, which doesn't seem like much until you start to read it.  It took me a good week and a half to read this novel, mostly because of personal issues and because the book is that good I didn't want to waste time reading it unless I could give it the attention it deserved.  Not to mention the many rests in order to prevent carpal tunnel in my wrists from holding the book up. 
Of course this is a first novel in a series, but it is a very good first novel.  I loved the characters, the world that Sanderson has created is impressive and the scope of this story is amazing.  Guess I didn't have much else to say after all.  I loved this book.  I cannot wait for his other novels to find out what happens to this mess of characters I have fallen in love with, once again I can only hope it will not be a long wait.   I just might pick up the Wheel of Time series.  Maybe.

The Company of Strangers

I liked The Company of Strangers.  The ending was predictable but it was still a well written suspenseful novel about a network of spies during WWII.  The deep betrayal and intricate levels that Mr. Wilson creates in this novel are amazing.  It is not a simple story of sides and double crosses because everyone it seems is working for someone else, and sometimes that person is working for someone else.  It is a very tangled web. 
The characters are well defined, but then again everyone is very busy trying to be someone else so it is difficult to truly delve into the depth of a spy.

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

Brisingr is the third book in the Inheritance series.  Little unknown fact about the author, he was 16 when he wrote Eragon.  The book was fantastic, which he then followed up with Elder (also great).  Someone out there decided to make a movie of Eragon which was horrid, even for the low standards I place on movies based on great books.  But do not let that stop you from reading this series. 
The character of Eragon matures more and more each novel (as he should) along with Paolinis writing.  Brisingr is the longest of the three books, having more pages than the first two combined, but the author still keeps the story moving along.  Once again we are invited in the world of dragon riders through Eragon and Saphira but also into the very human world of Roran and Katrina.  Roran is Eragons only surviving relative and they have a very close bond.  Roran and Katrinas love is a much needed breath air in this heavy on the war and fighting book. 

It was a great read and I look forward to the fourth and final novel in the series.  For a novice and young writer Paolini is truly special and I look forward to reading his novels for years to come.

A Dangerous Climate by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

I grabbed this book on a whim while on my most recent library trip.  I was unprepared but had a few seconds without kids and therefore ended up wondering up and down the stacks trying to find a book to read. 

I was not crazy about this book, mostly because nothing happens.  At all.  The names were long and impossible to pronounce.  The main character is a vampire, who agrees to go undercover in Saint Petersburgh as a spy.  His disguise is the husband of a young Poland woman whose husband has disappeared.  The exact mission is never explained because the Count is on a need to know basis and his "wife" never decided he needed to know. 

The novel was full of very proper dialogue, boring histories and letters about Czar Peter and Saint Petersburgh and relationships that were lacking any sort of affection.  I kept waiting for something to happen, anything.  But nothing did, ever. 

A very strange dry book.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asker

I have decided this book needs to be required reading for high school instead of The Invisible Man.  This book grabbed you from the first page and didn't let you go until the last page. 

It is the amazing and heartbreaking story of Hannah, who kills herself and leaves tapes for 13 people explaining why she did it.  Her story is not unique, but it paints a picture of how high school life is not all sunshine and roses for everyone.  I finished the book 5 hours ago and still cannot stop thinking about it.

This book will stay with me for a long, long time.

Way to go Mr. Asher. 

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

I picked this novel up because the author wrote a review on the back of a recent book, I think it was Major Pettigrew and I like to read books from authors that appear on back covers, usually they have the same sort of style. 

I am neutral about this one, not sure if I liked it but at the same time I didn't hate it.  The story is vague, jumping from one character to another but somehow all leading back to Olive (who is a total basket case).  It almost scared me sometimes how much Olive seemed like my own mother and the mother I worry constantly I am turning into.

 The story is disjointed, following different people in a small town and how they connect to Olive, the stories themselves really have nothing much to do with Olive, but more paint a full picture of who she is.

It is about love, but more the loss of love rather than the finding of love.  About betrayal of love, understanding love and finally accepting love, and as usual when that happens you always have to say good-bye to love and hope you might say hello to love one day again.

I thought some parts were spectacular and some not so much.  Read it for yourself and let me know what you think.

Like Water for Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments with Recipe…

I remember watching this movie when it was first released in 1992.  I was 12 years old and had no idea about love, passion or really cooking so while I didn't understand a lot of the story I still loved the movie.  I can still remember scenes, dialogue and sitting on the couch with my mom watching this amazing move after 15+ years.  On a whim I decided to check out the book and was shocked that it is exactly like the movie. 

The book is beautifully written, the emotions practically bleed off the page and you cannot help but feel along with Tita and Pedro.  I loved the mixture of old family recipes, Mexican traditions and tall tale like folklore.  It was almost like reading a fairy tale.  Although not everyone lives happily ever after, but the story could not end any other way.  I enjoyed reading this book as much as I enjoyed watching the movie as a prepubescent teenage girl.  I might have to find the movie and watch it again.

Stravaganza by Mary Hoffman

I just finished Mary Hoffman's Stravaganza series first two novels City of Masks and City of Stars.  The books deal with time travel between "our world" and an alternate universe that resembles Italy during the 16th century.  The first novel was actually pretty sad because the main character Lucien is dieing from cancer in his world but when he travels using a talisman he arrives in Belleza (much like Venice) a young, healthy man.  I like the style of the writing, jumping from character to character, which I find really moves the story along rather then getting bogged down.  I would recommend for a quick light read but still engaging enough to keep you reading.

The series has two more books so far but my library does not have them so not sure if I will be able to find them or not.  I would like to find out what happens to the major characters.  I will have to add them to my TBR list and maybe I will get lucky and find them at my library or the used book store.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand was an awesome book.  It has been a very long time since I have enjoyed reading a novel this much.  I was skeptical about this book because I wasn't sure how relate able the main characters were going to be.  After all it is about an older major living in a small town in England, not exactly my cup of tea.  The little known secret about MPLS is that it is a simple love story.  The characters are real, honest and charming, if a little old fashioned.  I really enjoyed the story, the simplicity and the fairy tale charm of the novel, all while falling in love with the Major and Jasmina myself.  I highly recommend this book.
I will have to keep an eye out for another book by this author, if it is anything like this one I might become a new fan of her work.

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

I love the Sookie series, LOVE IT.  I was laid up last year with pneumonia and read all the novels back to back and fell in love.  I was so shocked to see this new book at the library I almost screamed out "yes".  I needed a little Sookie, which was prefect timing for this book. 

The books are funny, sharp, full of sex, adult vampires, werewolves and hot fairies.  In other words perfection.  Sookie is a telepathic waitress who just happens to be in love with a vampire god, friends with the local were pack and her brother became a panther after a freak encounter.  She is also part fairy due to some extra curricular activities on her grandmother's part.  The novels are the inspiration for the TrueBlood series on HBO (which I have sadly never watched but really need to)

This book examines the relationship with Eric that was just starting to take shape in the previous novels.  It also deals with her healing after the horrible events that happened during the fae war, where she was captured and abused.  Of course there are a few dead bodies along the way and not so much sex but it was still a great read. 

I always look forward to the recent Harris novel, she is a fun writer and it shows in her works.

I should really know better

I finally researched The Passage and discovered that it is a three part series.  Which means there are two more books.  I cannot wait and I hope that Mr. Cronin is a fast writer and it doesn't take 6 years to get the next installment.

I love a new series.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

The Passage is all it is hyped up to be and more.  I was skeptical about reading this book just for the simple fact that everyone loved it.  Usually I dislike books that everyone loves (case in point The Davinci Code) but my library has a copy and I have nothing better to do so I gave it a chance.  I was so happy that I did (see I can step out of my little bubble)

The book takes place sometime in the future, it has a very I Am Legend feel to it.  Only instead of zombies the virus made vampires.  The book spans 100 years starting with the beginning of the outbreak and 100 years after the outbreak with small colonies living behind walls with lights to keep the vamps out.  The virus wipes out civilazation as we know it.  The main characters live in fear of the vamps and yet are hopeful that they will overcome them. 

The book is suspenseful and kept me reading well past my bedtime most nights.  I didn't rush through it (which I usually do) because the author really keeps the adrenaline up and the slow parts to a minimum.  Cronin does not waste space with useless filler words, but still managed to write an original deep story about relationships, love and killer vampires.  Honestly what more could you want in a book?

The ending was a shocker.  I did not expect it at all and now I am left wondering if it is a cliffhanger or if that indeed is the end.  I would like there to be another book just because I loved this one so much but if that is how the book ends,  wow just wow.

My Fair Lazy by Jen Lancaster

Jen Lancaster is hilarious.  She writes memoirs and is a self proclaimed asshole who constantly puts her very expensive shoes in her very big mouth.  With her latest book she decides to have a soul makeover.  She calls it her "Jenaissance" and proceeds to brighten her horizons by trying new things and stepping out of her box.  The result is a hilarious account of her trying new foods, going to the theater and even taking a few wine classes.  Mrs. Lancaster is fresh and honest.  I was practically crying trying not to laugh and wake up my husband while reading the part about the Turkish restaurant.  I loved this book and really wish my library had her other titles. 

Sadly, I feel the same way as Jen some days.  Living in a small town with a very uncultured husband and two small children most days are spent with the same routine over and over again.  I think there are opportunities to try different things but frankly I cannot afford or have the free time to experience them.  I would love to have the time, money and energy that Jen does to take on my own Jenaissance.  The only culture I get is from the local library.  I might try to branch out and read more books that are out of my comfort zone.  I tend to skip over chic lit, anything that has to do with mopey females pining over their "Ashley" (on a side note Gone With The Wind is one of my all time favorite books, go figure), and books that have no point.  The kind that are like one big 500 page version of "lost in translation".  I need to stop being so picky and read books that I would normally never ever consider, maybe even a Nicholas Sparks novel.

God that made me shudder just thinking about it.

Now where to start....

Updates

I recently read The Bronze Horseman and Tatiana and Alexander: A Novel but just found out there is a third novel in the series, which is not being released in the US until Feb 2011.  I can't decided if I want to wait until it comes out or just order the UK version from Ebay.  But I do not want to talk about the books until I have read all three.  This series is intense, full of action, war and a lot of love.  I am not a fan of love stories, but this series has me hook line and sinker.  I cannot wait for the next installment.

I also finished the 6th book in the Ranger's Apprentice series.  I enjoy each book in this series more and more.

Now I am reading My Fair Lazy: One Reality Television Addict's Attempt to Discover If Not Being A Dumb Ass Is the New Black, or, a Culture-Up Manifesto, it looks funny and after diving headfirst into Mrs. Simons tombs I need a funny, silly book.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard

The Scent of Rain and Lightning is a simple novel, set in a small town in Kansas whose major income is cattle ranching.  The family involved is the richest family in town and they share a devastating past.  23 years ago the oldest  son in the family was killed, his young and pretty wife went missing which left a 3 year old daughter an orphan.  That little girl is now 26 and has just learned that the man who was tried and convicted of murdering her dad is being set free.  Which causes her a lot of pain and agony, but it also opens the doors for a few family secrets to come out.

I really liked this novel, it was short and a simple read.  The characters were complex but the author didn't really bog you down with a ton of inconsequential descriptions.  I will admit that I almost stopped reading half way through because I had "figured" out the mystery.  I was glad that I didn't because while I had the general idea down I was wrong and the way it ended was even better than I had imagined.  I am going to check out another book by his author because I really liked her writing style.

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

Cover Description:  July 2005.  In the Pyrenees mountains near Carcassonne, Alice, a volunteer at an archaeological dig, stumbles into a cave and makes a startling discovery-two crumbling skeletons, strange writings on the walls, and the pattern of the labyrinth.

Eight hundred years earlier; on the eve of a brutal crusade that will rip apart southern France, a young woman Alais is given a ring and a mysterious boo for safekeeping from her father.  The book, he says, contains the secret of the true Grail, and the ring, inscribed with a labyrinth, will identify a guardian of the Grail.  Now as the crusading armies gather outside the city walls of Carcassonne, it will take a tremendous sacrifice to keep the secret of the labyrinth safe...

First off the book is better than the cover description, I wanted to check out this book twice but the cover description seemed boorish for lack of a better word but after reading a few reviews I decided to check it out for myself.

I really liked the Alais parts (shocker right) that takes place during early 1200's, which focused on her relationship with her dad, her husband and the books concealing the key to the grail.  I did like the present day situations but I would have much rather preferred to read a novel about Alais and Guilhem, then have the constant back and forth.  I liked the character of Alais (which was very similar to the present day Alice) and wanted more from her.  The ending to Alias' tale could have been more detailed, it more or less second hand skimmed version of the 30 years she lived until Oriane caught up to her again. 

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

I grabbed this book on a whim because I recognized the author, her first book is The Historian, which I rather liked.  It was long and predictable but still had an interesting take on the "Dracula" vampire stories. 

The Swan Thieves has the same feel as The Historian as it is set in present day, but there are letters from the past and story lines from the past that move the story along.  However I didn't really get the book.  A genius painter, Robert Oliver is arrested for attacking a picture with a pocket knife.  He is sent to a psychiatric hospital where he refuses to talk, the Doctor, who is also an artist becomes intrigued with him and for whatever reason decides to make Robert's sanity his personal mission to find.  Who is the strange woman that he is constantly painting?  Why does Robert refuse to talk?  and how does one go from critically acclaimed artist and teacher to standing in an art gallery brandishing a Swiss army knife?

Dr. Marlow travels through Robert's life first from his ex-wives perspective and then to Robert's most recent love, but the mystery of the black haired woman is not solved, so he continues to dig deeper and deeper into this mysterious woman.

Meanwhile Robert gives him a collection of letters from the real Dark haired muse to her uncle, which helps to solve the mystery of her origins and the secret betrayal she lived with for years.

The reader finds out all about the mystery woman but not why Robert was so obsessed with her, or at least not to my satisfaction. The entire book Robert has been painting the dark haired woman, it what would seem to be real still-life's (only shes dead right?) so where is this coming from?   He must be crazy, or Beatrice reincarnate, but no, he was just a really good artist. I wanted a better explanation.

Then one day Dr. Marlow tells me he found out the truth about Leda and the black haired woman and suddenly Robert is cured, talking and planning on getting released.

Umm what??  Now that the big secret is out (sort of) Robert is fine and will no longer obsess about a woman who died in 1910 and utterly destroyed his life, his ex-wife's life, his children's life and who knows who else?
Yeah okay.

It wasn't a horrible read, I did enjoy the Beatrice (dark haired woman) storyline and thought it was executed perfectly but Robert's story felt rushed and disjointed.

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

My Internet was down/acting up recently, which made blogging impossible and without my free time occupied by the world wide web I read.  A Lot.  I cannot even begin to blog about all the books, but hopefully now everything is back to normal and I will be able to blog again.

Back on Track - finally.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets nest by Steig Larsson

Cover Description:  Lisbeth Salander will have her revenge - against the men who tried to kill her, and against the government institutions that nearly succeeded in deliberately destroying her life.  As a traumatized victim of the care system, Salander has learned to trust no-one save herself, but this is on war she cannot wage alone.  After sustaining appalling gunshot woulds t her had and her shoulder, sh is in intensive care, and her most dangerous enemy is in the next-door ward.
If she survives, she is set to face murder charges.  Officially under police guard, she is allowed contact with only her surgeon or her lawyer.  But Mikael Blomkvist, editor at Millennium magazine and Salander's self-appointed guardian angel, will not give up on this sstrangely compelling girl.  Blomkvist knows that, as a world-class computer specialist, Slander just needs the right tools to have the world at her fingertips.
With the covert aid of Blomkvist and his journalists at Millennium, Salander must first prove her innocence.  only then can she unmask the people behind the corrupt and secret manoeuvres that ruined her childhood and remain the rotten core of the Swedish society.  The survivor of institutionalized abuse, and violence, Salander, even in hospital, is spoiling for another fight. 

The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the third novel in the Millennium series, and I must say even better than the first two books.  This series is original and captivating.  I eagerly awaiting the release of this novel and was so happy not to be disappointed.  The story is fast paced, quick witted and (SPOILER) has a happy, wrapped up with a little bow ending.  It was perfect.  I loved the ride and when I grow up I want to be Lisbeth Salander (or Angelina Jolie but that is for entirely different reasons).  Loved it, Loved it, Loved it, if it wasn't due back at the library ASAP I would read it again and again. In fact I want to read the entire series again back to back, just to get my Dragon Tattoo fix.  Highly recommend.
I am very sad that there will not be any more books by this orginal author.

Dracula part II

I couldn't get into Dracula The Un-Dead, it was too much like the original but not written was well, not to mention that certain things were changed (like the ending) of the original that made it hard for me to wrap my head around.  If you are going to take over someones masterpiece than make it better, do not change the reason it was a masterpiece in the first place.

I had to put it down, which I rarely do with novels, I pride myself if sludging along page after page of horribleness, but not this time, it had to go.  

Instead I picked up, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

 it is an oldie but looks delicious, the bad news is that it is a series and my library does not have the other two books.  At least it will keep me busy until City of Ashes arrives. 

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

Cover Description:  From Dagger Award - winning and internationally bestselling author Alan Bradley comes this utterly beguiling mystery starring one of fiction's most remarkable sleuths:  Flavia De Luce, a dangerously brilliant eleven-year-old with a passion for chemistry and a genius for solving murders.  This time, Flavia finds herself untangling two deaths-separated by time but linked by the unlikeliest of threads. 
Flavia thinks that her days of crime-solving in the bucolic English hamlet of Bishop's Lacey are over-and then Rupert Porson has an unfortunate rendezvous with electricity.  The beloved puppeteer has had his own strings sizzled, but who'd do such a thing, and why?  For Flavia, the questions are intriguing enough to make her put aside her chemistry experiments and schemes of vengeance against her insufferable big sisters.  Astride Glady's, her trusty bicycle, Flavia sets out from the De Luces' crumbling family mansion in search of Bishop's Lacey's deadliest secrets.
Does the madwoman who lives in Gibbet Wood know more than she's letting on?  What of the vicar's odd ministrations to the catatonic woman in the dovecote?  Then there's a German pilot obsessed with the Bronte sisters, a reproachful spinster aunt and even a box of poisoned chocolates.  Most troubling of all is Porson's assistant, the charming but erratic Nialla.  All clues point towards a suspicious death years earlier and a case the local constables can't solve-without Flavia's help.  But in getting so close to who's secretly pulling the strings of this dance of  death, has our precocious heroine finally gotten in way over her head?

The WTSTHB is the second novel with Flavia De Luce, who is a brilliant and adorable little girl.  She has a natural eye for solving crimes, mainly because her age and reputation makes her trustworthy and like able.  In a small town people are more likely to gossip to an 11 year old girl than a policeman.  She also knows all the ins and outs of the way her small town works.  The novel is a great ride through the eyes of a child, dealing with her absent father, dead mother and two older sisters that torment her tirelessly.  Her chemistry lab and scientific experiments keep her going in her odd little world, which aids her in solving crimes and assisting the local police.  It is interesting to read a novel from such a young perspective, I do enjoy a YA adult novel but even then you get more teenage angst than true emotions, Flavia is a breathe of fresh air.  I enjoyed this novel as much as the first one and will make sure to look out for more installments in the future. 

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Cover Description:  When Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder.  Much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with odd markings.  This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons, and keeping the odd werewolves and vampires in line.  It's also her first meeting with gorgeous, golden-haired Jace.  Withing twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attached by a demon.  But why would demons be interested in an ordinary mundane like Clary?  And how did she suddenly get the Sight?  The Shadowhunters would like to know...

City of Bones is the first novel in the Mortal Instruments trilogy written by Cassandra Clare.  From the get go the book takes you on a roller coaster ride of adrenaline that doesn't stop when the book does.  The fighting is intense, the dialogue is realistic and the characters make you fall in love with them.  I just finished the novel and I am practically salivating for the second book in the series, which is not available at my library, yet.  I am going to hit up the used book store but more than likely I will have to wait and see what happens with Jace and Clary.  The story has everything, vampires, werewolves, young love and a group of teenage demon killers, that are truly bad ass.  The "twist" is not that hard to figure out, although I am pretty sure it will resolve itself in the next editions, I won't give anything away but I am pretty sure the truth about Clary's father is someone whose name begins with an "L".  Get ready to enter a world of fantasy you can easily imagine and will not want to leave. 

Time for me to Library stalk City of Ashes

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Cover description:  Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a prodigiously gifted musician.  She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand-one who can see faeries.  Unexpectedly, Deidre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy named Luke who enters her ordinary life, seemingly out of thin air.  But his interest in her might be something darker than summer romance.  When a sinister faerie named Aodhan shows up with deadly orders from the Faerie Queen, it forces Dee right into the midst of Faerie.  Caught in the crossfire with Deidre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend.  Deidre had been wishing her summer weren't so dull, but taking on centuries-old Faerie Queen isn't exactly what she had in mind.

Lament felt a little rushed, especially towards the end.  Stiefvater spends a lot of time building characters and detailing the love story between Dee and Luke but falters in the other story lines which makes the book seem not finished.  I as expected a little more Faerie and a little less kissing and/or obsessing about kissing.  The end left a few things unanswered (especially about her evil aunt Deliah).  I thought it could have had a little more depth, but it was a nice, short read.  I am not sure if I will read the other book in this series.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Cover Description:  The Cold, Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house.  One yellow-eyed wolf-her wolf- watches back.  He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.
The Heat, Sam has lived two lives.  As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves.  And then, for a short time each year, he is a human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.
The Shiver, For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance.  But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied.  Sam must fight to stay human-Grace must fight to keep him-even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

Shiver is cute story about falling in love for the first time, of course it has a bit of a twist that Grace's first love just happens to be a werewolf.  A minor technicality to a teenager.  I really liked the back and forth between Sam's perspective and Grace's perspective throughout the book, it was nice to see the male character gush for once and it really added a fast pace to the novel, it is about 400 pages and I read the entire thing in 6 hours.  I found myself strangely attached to Sam and Grace, cheering for them to beat the odds and while I did not cry at the end I did let a little *sigh*.  I won't give the ending away but I will say there is a second book coming out in July which I already have on hold at the Library. 

I really like this author and totally by coincidence I  picked another book by her, which I am reading right  now and enjoying just as much as Shiver

A Murderous Procession

A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin
Cover Description:  In 1176, King Henry II sends his ten-year-old daughter, Joanna, to Palermo to marry William II of Sicily.  War on the continent and outbreaks of plague make it an especially dangerous journey, so the king selects as his daughter's companion the woman he trusts most:  Adelia Aguilar, his mistress of the art of death.  As a medical doctor and a native of Sicily, it will be Adelia's job to travel with the princess and safeguard her health until the wedding.
Adelia wants to refuse-accompanying the royal procession means leaving behind her nine-year-old daughter.  Unfortunately, Henry has arranged for the girl to live at court, both as a royal ward and as a hostage to ensure that Adelia will return to the king's service.  So Adelia sets off for a yearlong royal processions.  Accompanying her on the journey are her Arab companion, Mansure, her lover, Rowley, and the unusual newcomer:  the Irish sea captain O'Donnell, who may prove more useful to Adelia than Rowley would like.
But another man has joined the procession-a murderer bent on the worst kind of revenge.  When people in the princess's household begin to die, Adelia and Rowley suspect the killer is hiding in plain sight.  Is his intended victim the princess....or Adelia herself

A Murderous Procession is the fourth book in A Mistress of the Art of Death series, each book outlines a mystery that Adelia must solve for King Henry.  I love this series and the character of Adelia, there is a lot of leeway given to the main character and what she is allowed to get away with, but it doesn't really take much away from the story.  I am a sucker for a great murder mystery especially a historical murder mystery.  Franklin doesn't hold anything back when describing the crimes and situations that Adelia gets herself into which makes the novels a little on the dark side, but the stories are all original, interesting and compelling.   I highly recommend this series to anyone who is a historical fiction mystery fan.

The Heretic's daughter

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
Cover Description:  In 1752 Sarah Carrier Chapman, confined to her home and weak with infirmity, writes a letter to her granddaughter, revealing the secret she has guarded closely for six decades.  It is a haunting account of the horrors that enveloped a New England town called Salem, and compelled Sarah, then just a young girl, to make a decision that would change her life forever. 
A little more than a year before the witch trials will begin, Sarah and her family arrive in nearby Andover to face a community gripped by superstition and fear.  with the increase in Indian raids and the spread of the plague, the Puritans come to believe that heretics in their midst are responsible for their misfortune.  Based on the accusations of a dozen young girls, neighbor is pit4ed against neighbor, friend against friend, and the hysteria escalates, sweeping more than two hundred men, woman, and children into prison on charges of witchcraft - Sarah's mother, Martha Carrier, among them.  Often at odds with each other, mother and daughter must now stand defiantly together in the face of imprisonment, torture , and even death.  Out of love for her children, Martha asks Sarah to commit an act of heresy - a lie that will most surely condemn Martha even as it will save her daughter.

The Heretic's daughter takes place during the Salem witch trials which is a subject that really interests me, not being from that part of the US it is not common knowledge where I live.  However the real root of the novel is about relationship.  The relationships of Puritans during the 1600's were very different than know, it was a hard life and there wasn't much joy, laughter was frowned upon and children were thought of as little adults.  The Heretic's daughter examines relationships between families, husband and wife, brother and sister, neighbors (both friends and enemies) and of course the main relationship between mother and daughter.  Sarah is often at odds with her mother, a strong, strict woman who rules her household with a strong heart.  It isn't until the end, when she makes the ultimate sacrifice for her family that Sarah realizes that she truly is her mother's daughter, and always has been.

The reader by Bernhard Schlink

The Reader

Cover Description:  When Fifteen-year-old Michael Berg falls ill on his way home from school, he is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age.  In time she becomes his lover, enthralling him with her passion, but puzzling him with her odd silences.  Then she disappears.
Michael next sees Hanna when she is on trial for a hideous crime, refusing to defend herself.  As he watches, he begins to realize that Hanna may be guarding a secret she considers more shameful than murder.

Confession time, I broke the golden rule here - The Reader is a very famous movie that was nominated for a few awards and received a lot of praise. I watched the movie before I read the book, so a few of the OMG scenes in the book I already knew about.  However I will say the movie is very true to the book.  Like most movies you lose something in translation (at least that is what I call it) because you cannot get inside an actors head like you can get inside the narrators head in a book.  The Reader is haunting, literally.  After I watched the movie I had to read the book just to see if the book could possibly disturb me more than the movie, it did. 
I have read countless books about WWII, specifically from the Jewish perspective regarding the crimes they endured by the hands of the Germans.  This is the first novel that was written by a German after the war and tells a story from a German perspective.  I do not want to give anything away but it was interesting to read about a young man dealing with the aftermath of what the Germans/Nazis did during the 30's and 40's and the Allies won in 1945. 
The main character Micheal Berg is a German boy who was a child during the war, now coming into adulthood and dealing with the fallout and truths of what his countryman (friends, parents, teachers etc) did to the Jewish population.  Including his much older lover and what role she played in the Holocaust. 
A haunting novel and movie - I recommend both.

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Garden Spells
Cover Description: The Waverleys have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, NC. Even their garden has a reputation, famous for its feisty apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers. Generations of Waverleys tended this garden. Their History was in the soil. But so were their futures.
A successful caterer, Claire Waverley prepares dishes made with her mystical plants-from nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets and the pansies that make children thoughtful, to snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile her elderly cousin, Evanelle, is known for distributing unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverleys - except for Claire's rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had before. When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire's quiet life is turned upside down-along with the protective boundary she has so carefully constructed around her heart. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind. as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy - if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom or with each other.

Books like Garden Spells I call "fluff" reading. The novel is not serious, usually tells a light story of love without the usual conflicts and thank god without the in your face too good to be true sex of romance novels. Garden Spells is a typical romantic love story usually referred to as "chic lit". After reading The Gargoyle I needed a nice short feel good story and Garden Spells was perfect. The story reminded me of the movie Practical Magic. Of course there are a few differences (the sisters in Garden Spells to not consider themselves witches) but the story is very much the same. Two sisters, neither are very good with men and they have special powers. I loved the crazy cousin Evanelle who randomly gives people things because she "has to". Like I said it is a cute, simple story but defiantly cheered me up!

Now on to something a little more serious...

The Gargoyle

The Gargoyle

By Andrew Davidson

Cover Description: The narrator of The Gargoyle is a very contemporary cynic. physically beautiful and sexually adept, who dwells in the moral vacuum that is modern life. As the book opens, he is driving along a dark road when he is distracted by what seems to be a flight of arrows. He crashes into a ravine and suffers horrible burns over much of his body. As he recovers in a burn ward, undergoing the tortures of the damned, he awaits the day when he can leave the hospital and commit carefully planned suicide - for he is now a monster in appearance as well as in soul.
A beautiful and compelling but clearly unhinged, sculptress of gargoyles by the name of Marianne Engel appears at the foot of his bed and insists that they were once lovers in medieval Germany. In her telling, he was badly injured mercenary and she was a nun and scribe in the famed monastery of Engelthal who nursed him back to health. As she spins their tale in Scheherazade fashion and relates equally mesmerizing stories of deathless love in Japan, Iceland, Italy and England, he finds himself drawn back to life - and finally, in love. He is released into Marianne's care and takes up residence in her huge stone house. But all is not well. For one thing, the pull of his past sins becomes ever more powerful as the morphine he is described becomes ever more addictive. For another, Marianne receives word from God that she has only 27 sculptures left to complete - and her time on earth is finished.

The Gargoyle is a surprising and sincere love story. The characters are raw and honest and tell a story that transcends time. The different love stories of the past interwoven between the present time horrors are powerful and compelling. I wanted more than anything for this novel to have the happy ever after ending but I guess a true love story is not complete without heart wrenching moments of utter tragedy. Trust me The Gargoyle is filled with both moments of incredible love seeping off the pages and agonizing pain and suffering that make you cringe while reading. The balance between love and hate, fire and water was perfect written and executed. Loved it!

Oh and I really want the angel wing tattoo now.

The Law of Nines by Terry Goodkind

Cover Description: Turning twenty-seven may be terrifying for some, but for Alex, a struggling artist living in the midwest, it is cataclysmic. Inheriting a huge expanse of land should make him a rich and happy man; but something about this birthday, his name, and the beautiful woman whose life he has just saved, has suddenly made him-and everyone he loves-into a target. A target for extreme and uncompromising violence.

I recently finished the book called The Law of Nines by Terry Goodkind. It is the 8th book I have read by this author. He is best known for his Sword of Truth novels. When I grabbed it off the shelf I briefly read the cover, recognized the author and thought I would take a chance. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. This novel is a stand alone novel, but it does have connections to his other series The Sword of Truth. The connections are subtle, which does not make it necessary to have read the previous books.

The novel takes place in present time, on the main character Alexander Rahl's 27th birthday. He is a painter, with one parent dead (his father) and his mother in a high security mental intuition, where she has been since he was 9 years old. He meets a beautiful woman (Jax) under mysterious circumstances and of course falls madly in love. It had something to do with her hair I believe. Anyway, he soon finds out there is another universe and according to the prophecy of The Law of Nines he is the savior of the entire universe, his and hers.

Like most Goodkind novels the central theme is love conquers all. All you need is love, love lifts you up where you belong. Blah Blah Blah more love. Unlike his other novels he doesn't hit you over the head with the love stuff. He also doesn't get into long drawn out theological/magic/good vs. evil explanations. Instead you have a cut and dry boy meets girl, girl needs boy to save the world, boy helps and they all live happily ever after, with a lot of killing and running for their lives. I believe this is a new series so the end does leave a bit of a cliffhanger, but nothing too dramatic.

It was a fast-paced, action pack novel. I couldn't put it down and didn't want it to end.

Although this is how Goodkind sucked me in last time...